(1) Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an apparatus for use in uniformly stretching fabric, and more particularly to an apparatus for uniformly stretching a coarse woven textile fabric and holding the fabric taut during the crafting of rugs and other textile articles.
(2) Description of the Prior Art
In handcrafting of rugs, a rectangular fabric segment is stretched in all directions to form a rug base. Yarns of different colors are then inserted in a pattern through the base fabric to form the rug design. In order to construct a rug that will maintain its desired shape, it is critical to uniformly stretch the base fabric in all directions and hold the fabric taut during rug construction. Otherwise, the shape of the rug will be distorted when the stretching forces on the rug are released.
Base fabrics are normally stretched with devices known as rug hooking frames, with several different frames being commercially available. The most basic and usually least expensive hooking frame is the hand-tightened hoop frame, which is comprised of inner and outer hoops. The base fabric is placed over the inner hoop and the outer hoop is pressed downwardly around the inner hoop to stretch and lock the fabric base between the hoops. The hoop frame is not sufficiently robust for anything other than small rugs, needlework, etc. Moreover, stretching of the rectangular fabric around a circular base does not provide the stretch uniformity desired.
A more robust and effective mechanically assisted rug-hooking frame is the lap frame, which can be supported by the user's lap or mounted on a floor support. The lap frame comprises an open rectangular frame having frame arms over which the fabric base is stretched. The fabric is secured to fabric grippers, such as strips of card clothing like that used in the card clothing presses of textile manufacturing, aligned along the sides of the frame.
Stretching of the fabric base over existing lap frames can be difficult and complex. Moreover, the fabric may not be stretched with the uniformity desired. Current mechanically assisted lap frames use a variety of relatively complex mechanisms involving gears and springs to stretch and clamp the fabric over the frame. U.S. Pat. No. 3,922,804 to Batey, for example, discloses a rectangular frame having two fixed frame arms and two moveable frame arms that include gears and springs.
A need remains for a rug hooking frame that can be used to uniformly stretch a fabric in both the side-to-side direction (herein the X-axis) and from top-to-bottom or front-to-back, depending on the orientation of the frame (herein the Y-axis) with a high degree of uniformity, while permitting ready release of the fabric when separation from the hooking frame is desired.